Taxol exploits molecular switches within tubulin to stabilize microtubules

Microtubules are dynamic filaments of tubulin heterodimers that comprise an essential part of the eukaryotic cytoskeleton¹. The nucleotide state of tubulin controls microtubule dynamics: stable GTP-microtubules favor polymerization, whereas unstable GDP-microtubules drive depolymerization². Anticancer compounds such as Taxol (paclitaxel) target microtubule dynamicity by preventing microtubule depolymerization^3,4. Despite decades of work, the molecular basis of microtubule dynamics remains poorly defined. Using cryo-EM, we determined ~2.2 Å structures of human microtubules in GTP-like (GMPCPP) and GDP states. Comparison of these two states revealed switch-like structural changes as tubulins transition from the pre-hydrolysis (GMPCPP) to the post-hydrolysis (GDP) state. Additional structure determination of Taxol-bound microtubules at ~2.2 Å showed that Taxol binding converts the microtubule lattice into a pre-hydrolysis state by reversing the structural switches flipped during GTP hydrolysis. Focusing our analysis on the microtubule seam shows that the pre-hydrolysis conformation of GMPCPP or Taxol-GDP exhibits favorable lateral interactions at the seam, with lattice deformations clearly visible at the GDP seam. Together, our data show the existence of structural switches in tubulin that are coupled to the nucleotide state and are exploited by Taxol to stabilize microtubules into a pre-hydrolysis-like state.